Data storage libraries are well-known in the art and are widely used to store and retrieve large amounts of data. A typical data storage library contains a number of data cartridge storage locations as well as one or more cartridge read/write drives that are used to read data from and/or write data to data cartridges stored within the library. A robotic cartridge access system is commonly used to move the data cartridges between the cartridge storage locations and the cartridge read/write drives.
The data cartridges used in such data storage libraries are often provided with some type of cartridge identification system, such as a printed label having machine-readable information provided thereon, containing information about the data cartridge itself, as distinguished from the information stored on the storage medium (e.g., magnetic tape) of the data cartridge. In early systems, such data cartridge information tended to be limited, often to the volume number of the data cartridge itself. However, as data cartridges and library storage systems have become more advanced, it is common to provide even more detailed information about the data cartridge, such as, for example, information about the type of cartridge (e.g., data cartridge, cleaning cartridge, etc.) as well as the number of read/write cycles to which the data cartridge has been subjected.
Because of the increased amount of data cartridge information involved, most cartridge memory systems of the type just described commonly comprise RFID systems, although other types of cartridge memory systems may be used as well. In an RFID type of cartridge memory system, each individual data cartridge is provided with a transponder that, when interrogated (e.g., via a radio-frequency interrogation or “ping” signal), will transmit or broadcast (also via radio-frequency) data stored in the cartridge memory system. A suitable RFID “reader” is used to interrogate the transponder and receive the data transmitted by the transponder. Such readers are commonly located in the cartridge read/write devices provided in the library storage system. Consequently, information from the cartridge memory system can be downloaded from the cartridge memory system during a cartridge read/write operation. New or updated cartridge information can be uploaded during the cartridge read/write operation as well.